Nats conclude record-breaking road trip with 16-5 blowout in Denver

DENVER - The Nationals scored 11 runs Wednesday to topple the Rockies. In Thursday's series finale, they scored that many runs in the seventh inning.

The Nationals pummeled the Rockies 16-5 to finish with their best record ever on a 10-plus game road trip (9-1, .900).

Gio Gonzalez pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing only two runs on seven hits to improve his record to 3-0.

But the headliner on this day was the unstoppable offense.

The Nationals scored a season-high 16 runs on 19 hits, including eight extra-base hits, three of those home runs. They blew the game open with that season-high 11 runs in the seventh frame. The club scored a total of 20 runs in the seventh inning the final three games of the series.

The 16-6 record matches the best start in franchise history (1979, Expos). The 1932 Washington Senators began the season at 17-5.

Dusty Baker spoke afterwards about managing the club when they are on such a roll. He pointed to resting Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon and still coming away with a resounding victory.

"It's a lot of fun when you can give guys days off and plug in other guys and they have good games," Baker said. "And then the guys that were playing regularly have good days, too. You know you're going to score a lot of runs here, but I didn't have any idea we're going to score that many runs. Once their bullpen got kind of beat up and used up, I've been there before. Using the freshest arm but not necessarily matchups."

Let's take a ride on the individual superlatives train for the Nats this road trip:

Trea Turner has 10 hits and 11 RBIs in these last three games. He went 11-for-21 (.524) with four doubles, one triple and two homers against the Rockies in this series.

Bryce Harper hit .529 (18-for-34) with six doubles, four homers and 12 RBIs over the 10-game road trip.

Daniel Murphy has 15 RBIs in his last five games.

Seven of the top eight batters in the Nationals lineup had at least two hits in the today's game. The only batter at the top half of the order without multiple hits today was Harper, and he crushed a three-run shot in the record-breaking 11-run seventh inning.

This month, Harper has a .418 batting average and an .823 slugging percentage. He has eight homers and 25 RBIs in April.

"It's not over yet. He's been unbelievable," Baker said. "We are pulling for Harp. It's rare that a power hitter comes here without hitting at least one home run. So we were like, 'Man Harp's due not only to get a hit, but to hit a home run here in Coors Field,' and he did both."

An April like the one Harper is having reminds baseball historians of the starts that legendary hitters like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams had. Does Harper think about what it means to be mentioned alongside the icons in the sport?

"Those are great players," Harper said. "I respect the heck out of what they did before me. If they didn't do what they did before me, I wouldn't be playing this game today. So very blessed to be able to play the game every single day, and I respect the people who played before me."

The Rockies bullpen struggled to get any of the Nationals out in that seventh frame. And it turned into an onslaught of offense from the Nationals: 11 runs on eight hits with 15 batters coming to the plate.

Murphy ended up with a double and a single, two runs scored and an RBI just in that inning.

Turner said a big reason that inning turned from just a good inning to a season-high total and why this lineup is so good: guys don't take at-bats off.

"I thought about that in the long inning we had," Turner said. "We scored 11 runs in that inning, and at any point in that inning, somebody could have shut it down. Nobody wanted to make that last out. Nobody wants to give an at-bat away. I think over the course of the season, that's how you put up a great stat line like Murph has. He doesn't give anything away, and it shows."

And even with a 15-2 lead, there was Murphy again in the ninth, not content with such a comfortable lead. He worked the count full and promptly crushed a solo shot, his fifth of the season.

The three-game run for the Nationals offense approaches astronomical proportions. They tallied 42 runs on 47 hits in the final three games of the series.

It was the most lethal of combinations: a lineup as potent as the one the Nationals put out in a place known for being hitter-friendly, Coors Field. In the last three games here, Harper collected seven hits with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs.

"Coors Field is a great place to hit," Harper said. "Got big gaps, they play ya deep, so you've got the hits in front of them - and the longball of course. But you've still got to hit the baseball, put a good swing on it, do everything possible to have good at-bats. I think we've had a great series and a great road trip, and done certain things we need to do to win ballgames."

Baker summed up the last 11 days. Did he hope for a 5-5 trip or at least a winning record when the club left Nats Park on April 16?

"I didn't really have a target," Baker said. "Every road trip I always think about having the perfect road trip. Thinking about 10-0. I say that to myself all the time. I don't know if we've ever had one, but that's what you yearn for. Basically, you just want to win series, especially on the road.

"They say if you are .500 or better you're playing pretty good on the road. But if we had won every series, we'd be playing .600 ball. I'm just glad the guys came out ready to play, especially today. Because today's a tough day. Getaway day, been on the road 10 days. You're thinking about home and kids. Now we can think about it on the way home versus before the game."